Congress doesn't trust us to be responsible and other letters to the editors

Congress doesn't trust us to be responsible and other letters to the editors

April 19th, 2013 in Opinion Letters

Congress doesn't trust us to be responsible

I'm 63, a veteran who served in wartime. I obey the law, pay my taxes and treat others with respect. I've raised a family, bought houses and cars and generally been a good citizen. Yet Congress doesn't trust me to own or use firearms responsibly. Not for anything I've done, but for what a few criminals and mentally unstable people have done.

From immigration to taxes to foreign aid to war powers, et al, Congress has either done nothing or they've done something awful. Yet they don't trust me?

It's too politically hazardous to punish the guilty, and there's no political benefit to honestly address mental health issues, things that might one day actually prevent a mass shooting. But punishing the millions of law-abiding gun owners -- who are never going to commit such an atrocity -- by simply ignoring the Constitution makes sense to them; It looks like they're "doing something." They are: They're dismantling the Constitution they swore to uphold.

It's not gun control that we need, it's Congress control. You want to remain free, then study history, as Churchill advised. And, while you still can, vote incumbents out of office. Because what is dear to you will eventually be their next target.

PAUL E. SCATES

Gardenhire's nonvote on cockfighting idiotic

Thank you, Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R- Chattanooga, for the nonvote on the anticockfighting bill. You state that you are "not for animal fighting at all" and yet decided on a nonvote? You also stated that you were "turned off" by the Humane Society's emails and that they were "discourteous"... so for that reason you decided on a nonvote?

I especially loved your statement that you would consider the bill if it came up again next year, but that "the cat needs to be skinned in the proper way." What kind of barbaric, insensitive and idiotic statement is that coming from an elected official? I guess your voters will have to hope you are not "offended" by any future emails, or it could result in more nonvotes.

LEA ANN WILLIAMS

U.S. needs to focus on loving each other

The headlines about the Boston attacks are focused on unveiling the culprit, namely, whether they are a domestic or international terrorist group. However, we have a much larger issue at hand than this -- the more pressing question to ask is, "where is the humanity?"

The humanity that we are lacking at present needs to be taught in our homes and in our classrooms. Children -- the next generation -- must learn to love regardless of race, religion or class. After all, we are all humans.

In the country I am originally from, Pakistan, incidents like this occur regularly. I am devastated to see that now, America has also fallen victim to such violence.

My heart goes out to the victims of this incident.

KHOLA HUMAYUN, Tunnel Hill, Ga.

Focus on bat habitat is commendable

I want to thank the Times Free Press and Louie Brogdon for reporting on the impact on the bat population caused by the development at Enterprise South. Although the need for industry to expand, especially in these times, should be supported, I am glad that the developers of Enterprise South are responsive to mitigating the loss of bat habitat. Our area certainly benefits from the bats' reduction of mosquitoes and similar pests. Funding that would maintain bats in the area is a reasonable compromise between environmental and economic concerns.

I would appreciate having additional followup on this story, especially regarding the actions taken by Mary Jennings, U.S. Fish and Wildlife supervisor, who is overseeing the use of funding.